10th EDF/SPS Project : Support to the Caribbean Forum of ACP States in the Implementation of Commitments Undertaken Under the Economic Partnership Agreement: Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures”

The Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Project, is one component of the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Programme titled “Support to the Caribbean Forum of ACP States in the Implementation of Commitments Undertaken under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)”.

Project start date:

03/09/2013

Project end date:

03/03/2017

Objectives

The overall objective of the 10th EDF Programme is to support the beneficial integration of the CARIFORUM states into the world economy and the overall objective of the SPS programme is to facilitate CARIFORUM States to gain and improve market access by complying with Europe's Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures and to help CARIFORUM states to better develop their own regionally harmonized SPS measures.The outcomes of the SPS Project are intended to increase production and trade in agriculture and fisheries which meet international standards while protecting plant,animal and human health and the environment.

Expected Results and Main Actions

The Action aims to enhance progress towards the development and establishment of effective and efficient national and regional Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) regimes to overcome the challenges of limited regional/national administrative capacity concerning compliance with international Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures:

  •  Strengthened legislation, protocols, standards, measures and guidelines in the area of Agriculture Health and Food Safety (AHFS) and fisheries;
  •  Enhanced national and regional coordination mechanisms in the support of the SPS regime developed and established in the CARIFORUM states;
  •  Strengthened national and regional regulatory and industry capacity to meet the SPS requirements of international trade.

Specific objectives related to CaribVET

  1. To share the project results and achievements of the CaribVET Working Groups and plan for the following years work
  2. To coordinate Regional SPS matters and resolve multilateral trade issues related to animal products
  3. To action the recommendations of the COTED and prepare updates recommendations for the next meeting of the COTED
  4. To strengthen regional actions against threats to animal health in the Caribbean
  5. To provide CaribVET with a legal instrument to enable the network operate as an institution.
  6. To follow-up on the evaluation of CaribVET impacts, including economic and non monetary costs and benefits.
Approach/Methodology
  1. Meeting of CARICOM CVOs to prioritize and develop action plans in response  mandated by  COTED (Virtual meeting)
  2. Meeting of the CaribVET Coordinating Unit to follow-up on the economic assessment of CaribVET and plan for the annual CaribVET SC and CVOs meeting (Face to Face meeting)
  3. Annual CaribVET SC and CARICOM CVOs meeting (Face to Face)
  4. Preparatory meeting of the CaribVET Coordinating Unit to finalize papers for  COTED (Virtual meeting)
  5. Consultancy by the Caricom Legal Department to make recommendations on the Charter
Outcomes/Outputs
  1. A better coordinated regional collaboration and networking to address trade and animal health issues
  2. Submission of recommendations from the CaribVET to COTED for action and implementation.
  3. A successfully planned and executed CaribVET SC meeting/conference  and CARICOM CVOs meeting
  4. Recommendations to COTED for improved trade in animal products and further harmonization of animal health protocols
  5. Recommendations and work plan to establish CaribVET Secretariat in Guadeloupe
  6. Economic assessment of costs and benefits of CaribVET, evaluation of a set of CaribVET activities, in particular those training workshops funded by the 10th EDF/SPS project

Partners

 The Project is being implemented by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in collaboration with the following partners: CARICOM Secretariat, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), the SPS committee of the Dominican Republic (Comite Nacional para la Aplicacion de Medidas Sanitarias y Fitosanitarias (CNMSF). (Provide links to Partners’ websites – IICA, CARICOM, CRFM, CNMSF)

Foundings

The total budget for the SPS Project was euro 11.7 millions, funded by the European Union (EU) and the IICA through the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Programme titled: “Supportttt to the Caribbean Forum of ACP States in the Implementation of the Commitments Undertaken under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA): Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures”.

The Contribution Agreement was signed by the EU August 24, 2013 and by the IICA September 3, 2013. The Project run over a 42-month period.